GURU | Heather John on Whisk(e)y

I've been taking serious notice of girls opting for Bourbon over Bordeaux from concerts to dinner parties, so I called in a favor from a friend for a lesson on Whisky (and Whiskey). Heather John is a freelance writer, the former wine & spirits editor for Bon Appétit (where we met), author of the fantastic blog The Foodinista, and an all around bad ass. Here she shares the straight dope on how to drink and order your scotch, rye, or bourbon. Thanks, H!

A GIRL'S GUIDE TO WHISK(E)YBy Heather John

My favorite cocktail is a no-frills gin and tonic, which I’ll unfashionably and unapologetically drink well after Labor Day. But at the first hint of frost, I find that deep down I’m a brown liquor girl.

For the past seven years as the former wine & spirits editor at Bon Appétit magazine, I picked up a trick or two when it comes to whisky—and yes, that’s whisky without an “e” as in Scotch, Canadian or Japanese. For those of you who favor the Irish and American (bourbon, rye, Tennessee) versions, go ahead and spell it “whiskey.” We won’t tell.

Probably the debate I hear the most is about neat versus rocks. Ideally, the answer is: neither. Ignore the guys bragging about drinking their whisky neat because trust me, the distillers in Scotland don’t, especially when a whisky is cask strength—unless the goal is to burn your throat and taste buds. While ice cubes will melt and potentially dilute the drink too much, a small splash of water actually enhances the spirit’s flavors and aroma. If you’re at a bar, ask for a glass of water on the side so you can add to your liking. Your bartender will respect you, even if the punter in the leather armchair won’t.

There is one other school of thought, and here I fall in line with the Japanese, who are whisky fanatics (at a dinner in LA once with Suntory distiller Mike Miyamoto, he brought his own water from Japan to make ice for his whisky). Tokyo bartenders have delivered the following gift to the whisky world: ice balls. A large cube or ball of ice melts at a much slower rate, thus giving your drink a slight chill without watering down too much. I use this nifty Muji silicon ice ball maker.

While there are few things as satisfying as sipping Suntory Hibiki, Ardberg Supernova or Talisker 30 year at the end of the evening, I also love whiskey—and here it’s with an “e”—in cocktails, particularly alongside a grilled ribeye steak. Here are five favorite whiskey drinks and how to order them.

Manhattan. If you are in Brooklyn, your mustachioed mixologist will shoot you on sight if you order anything other than rye in a Manhattan. Best to keep the peace and request Rittenhouse, stirred and never shaken.

Old-Fashioned. Try a small-batch bourbon like Booker’s or a blended whisky like Canadian Club. (Or if you’re in Brooklyn, see above.)

Americana. Did I mention how much I love Campari? Here two loves collide by adding Pappy Van Winkle 10 year 90 proof to the classic Americano cocktail of Campari, club soda and orange bitters.

Whiskey Smash. Go for a higher proof whiskey like Wild Turkey to balance the sweetness of the simple syrup and the tart lemon juice in one of America’s oldest—and most delicious—drinks.Do you drink Whisk(e)y? What's your cocktail of choice?

I'm looking forward to the whiskey hot toddies of the winter season, and in fact I just had a delicious one recommended to me by a local bartender: Wild Turkey American Honey, heated, with a slice of orange. Yum. Sweet, warm, but with plenty of sass, just how we like it!

Luckily, we have relatives on Islay, Scotland, so we have sampled the best of the best ;)Lagavulin, Laphroaig, Ardbeg, Caol Ila, Bruichladdich, Bunnahabhain and Bowmore.Although coctail-wise, my favourite contains Bourbon - Whiskey Sour.Good to highlight whisky drinking women!

Whiskey is my lover, and not always the lesser such when getting dimmered by it instead of some guy. I'm a jim and jack kinda girl (who sometimes goes for a jameson), perhaps bacuse i haven't bothered with learning enough about my favorite spirit, so thank you for a wonderful post.Favorite whiskey drink - lynchburger.

Thanks Lizzie and Heather - great post.Whisky is the only spirit I drink and I like to think that it runs in my family. My favorite aunt got me hooked on Canadian rye and ginger. Wiser's is our everyday whisky but we drink Crown Royal for a treat or special occasion.I'm living overseas now, so I settle for drinking 7 and 7's, but after reading your article, I can't wait to expand my horizons.

A couple weeks ago I was in the Twin Cities and was lucky enough to attend a performance of A Prairie Home Companion at the Fitzgerald Theatre. The evening's drink special was the Tina Louise (with a picture of the lovely Ginger on the sign)...whisk(e)y and Ginger Ale. Not bad, although I still think there's nothing like standing around at a tailgate with a whiskey sour topped with a marishino cherry.

Nice article highlighting whisky and women. I've recently started exploring whisky and came across one I love! "Spicebox Whisky", is a cold pressed Canadian rye whisky infused with vanilla, pepper, nutmeg, cinnamon. Mixes well with many so many things from hot apple cider, ginger beer to eggnog!

Great post. I thought I hated whisky for years. Turns out I just hate Jack Daniels. My friend poured me a glass of Macallan 15 and I was converted. I've since tried and enjoyed Crown Royal Black and Bulleit. I had some stuff by Koval at a whisky tasting that was really interesting, though perhaps too new to count.